UK leader hopefuls battle for support as nominations close

London, July 12 (BNA): The contenders to replace British Prime Minister Boris Johnson raced on Tuesday to overcome the first hurdle: mustering enough support from colleagues for a vote on the leadership of the Conservative Party.

Nominations officially opened on Tuesday morning and will close at 6 pm (1700 GMT). The Associated Press (AP) said candidates need the support of at least 20 Conservative MPs to be on the ballot in the run-off election, which begins on Wednesday.

So far, only three of the eleven announced candidates have achieved the bottom line: former Treasury chief Rishi Sunak, Commerce Secretary Penny Mordaunt and Representative Tom Tugendhat. Several others are also likely to hit the target, including Secretary of State Liz Truss, Treasury Secretary Nadim Zahawi and former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

Candidates are vying to replace Johnson, who resigned as Conservative Party leader last week amid a party revolution sparked by months of moral scandals. He will remain in his position as acting prime minister until a replacement is chosen as the party chief. The winner of that contest would automatically become prime minister, without the need for a national election.

The new leader will be chosen in a two-stage election, in which 358 Tory lawmakers narrow the race to two candidates through a series of elimination votes. The latter pair will be put to the ballot for party members across the country.

The party aims to complete the parliamentary phase of elections before lawmakers’ summer recess on July 21. The final two candidates will then spend the summer campaigning across the country.

A new leader is due to be announced when the House of Commons returns on September 5.

Many Conservatives worry that Johnson will be left in office for so long, fearing that the lame-duck leader is the last thing Britain needs as the war in Ukraine rages on, food and energy prices are driving inflation to levels not seen in decades, and labor unrest mounts. Some also worry that Johnson – brought down by money scandals, rule-breaking and his handling of allegations of sexual misconduct against lawmakers – could cause harm even when he was interim prime minister.

The opposition Labor party says it will push for a vote of no confidence in Johnson in the House of Commons this week. But it is unlikely to gain enough Conservative support to pass it, with many Conservatives resisting voting with the opposition even against a distorted leader.

In the wide open leadership contest, competitors seek to set themselves apart from front-runner Sunak, who already has the support of more than 36 lawmakers.

Many have rejected Sunak’s tax increases to support British finances affected by the coronavirus pandemic and Brexit – a 1.25% income tax increase for millions of workers, and a corporate tax increase next year from 19% to 25%. Most candidates say they will cancel one or both of them.

Sunak, whose resignation a week ago helped oust Johnson, has presented himself as the financial integrity candidate, warning competitors against telling the public “reassuring fairy tales”.

Zahawi responded by saying that his tax-cutting plan was “totally costly”.

“I think the tax cut is not a fairy tale, but rather a critical step to address the cost of living crisis,” he said.

M